MINUTES

Board of Trustees Regular Meeting

Thursday, September 14, 2000

Traverse Area District Library

(minutes are unofficial until approved by the Board of Trustees)

  

            A Public Hearing on the proposed 2001 Library Budget was called to order at 5:30 by President Welch.   Present were Welch, Brown, Maxson, Mesch, Lawrence and Schermerhorn.  Also present were Judson (Counsel), McGuire, Schneider and Buchanan (Staff). 

 

            Judson pointed out that the public hearing was on setting the millage rate for 2000 as well as on the budget.  Schneider briefly reviewed the proposed budget.  Following comments and questions from trustees, the hearing was opened for public comment.  There was none, and the hearing was closed at 5:40 pm.

 

The Regular Meeting was called to order at 5:40 p.m. by President Welch, with the same people present as for the public hearing.

 

            Welch recognized the loss of trustee Frank Senger and asked for a moment of silence in memory of Senger.

 

            Motion by Maxson, supported by Brown to amend the agenda to correct item a. under New Business to read:  “Consideration of adopting the 2001 Budget Resolution and setting the millage rates for 2000.”  Carried.

 

        Motion by Brown, supported by Mesch to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting of August 10, 2000. Maxson asked that the second line of the minutes be corrected by deleting the word "congratulated." Minutes were approved as corrected.

 

            McGuire mentioned the September and October displays in the meeting room and the display cases and reminded the trustees of the author program with Jerry Dennis on Friday, September 15, and the next author program with poet Stephen Dunn on Friday, October 13, both programs open and free to the public.

 

            McGuire recently had a visit from Dianne Odrobina, administrator of the Michigan Legislative Council,  which is the council that governs the Library of Michigan funding.  Ms Odrobina was visiting the area from Lansing and had heard so much about the Library that she had to stop in and see it.  McGuire gave her a tour.  Also, a few days before the meeting, he gave a tour to Frank Senger’s children, which he said was the most meaningful tour he had ever given.

 

            The Building Committee had not met, but McGuire said he had given the go-ahead for everything the committee had talked about except that he was still waiting for some re-drawings on a different type of book return slot.

            Maxson reported that the Finance Committee met once and further deliberated on the budget via teleconference.  The budget will be considered as item 5.a. on the agenda.

 

            Brown reported that the Personnel Committee met and reviewed an evaluation tool for evaluation of the Director.  They will continue to review that.  They also reviewed McGuire’s contract and discovered that he has not had a raise since the end of 1998 (retroactive to 1/1/98).  They will also continue to work on that.  They also would like to see evaluations done more timely, so that all administrative evaluations are completed and contracts reviewed by the end of the year to be effective January 1.

 

            Schermerhorn reported that the Policy Committee met to review the Policy on Access to Materials Based on Age.  They recommended that no action be taken on changing the policy at this time.  Following discussion by the Board regarding the appropriateness of some materials for children, Welch directed the Policy Committee to begin a review of the Materials Selection Policy, including the Hot Titles/Tunes.

 

            Julie Gray, Fife Lake Public Library, said that the member libraries all share in the loss of Frank Senger.  She went on to report on happenings at FLPL:  The Gates computers were due to arrive the next day, which would give the library a separate OPAC station and two Internet stations.  They celebrated the end of a very successful Summer Reading Club with a pizza party.  They raised almost $3000 from various fundraisers during the summer and currently have about $11,000 in their building fund.  They’re planning several events during the fall.  Their circulation has increased an average of 18% over the last year.  They would like to meet with the TADL Finance Committee.

 

            There were no other member library reports.

 

            Beth Bynum, Friends of Kingsley Public Library, invited the TADL trustees and McGuire to meet with them at 7:00 p.m. on September 27 to talk about the possibility of looking into a new building for KPL.

 

            Motion by Brown, supported by Maxson to adopt the 2001 Budget Resolution and to set the operating millage rate at 1.000 mils and the debt retirement millage rate at .176 mils.  Following an opinion from Judson that the public hearing notice as published did not contain language required by law regarding the budget, and therefore another hearing, properly posted, needed to be held, Brown and Maxson amended their motion to delete adoption of the 2001 Budget Resolution.   Motion carried as amended.

 

            Motion by Brown, supported by Schermerhorn to set a public hearing on the budget for Thursday, October 12, 2000, and to so publish.  Carried.

 

            The meeting was opened for public comment.  J. Gray commented on the Board’s discussion of children’s access to materials, especially in regard to Internet access.  There was no further public comment.

 

            Maxson asked who from TADL attended the teleconference on the new law regarding Internet access for minors.  McGuire said that no trustees attended, but several employees and Rachel Roe of Judson’s firm did attend.  J Gray asked whether Judson’s comment that TADL has addressed the Internet access issue in policy included the member libraries.  Judson responded that TADL sets policy for Woodmere and the two branches, and the member libraries are responsible for their own policies.  There is nothing to preclude the members from adopting the same policies that TADL adopts.

 

            Maxson asked about the status of installation of Microsoft Outlook in the member libraries.  McGuire reported that it was due to be installed at FLPL the following day and all the others within a week.

 

            Brown asked about the announcement in the meeting packets of a public hearing in Cadillac regarding library funding.  McGuire said that hearings are being held around the state.  He and Schneider would be attending the hearing in Cadillac on September 21.

 

            There was no further business.  The meeting was adjourned at 6:46 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Dawn Buchanan, Recording Secretary

John Welch, President

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